After a recent bout of high blood pressure, my 85-year-old mom lost a lot of hearing. She now wants to get a hearing aid.
From previous posts, I see that this can be a huge expense with some unethical sources charging up to $11,000 for hearing aids.
What should I look for or avoid? What types of aids are considered the most comfortable, best sound, easy to put in/on? Should she go to an ear-eye-nose doctor or directly to a hearing aid company -- we get mail ads from them constantly.
Any advice or experiences appreciated.
Alice
First, you should take your mother for a hearing test. After the hearing test, the specialist will assess the type of hearing loss and the type of hearing aids that your mom will benefit from. The price for hearing aid ranges from $500.00 to $7000.00 and it depends upon the technology, make and model.
The best hearing aid for your mom depends upon her dexterity, hearing loss and lifestyle.You can directly book an appointment for a hearing test. Now, if you get a quote from one place, always ask for make, model and the year that technology came out....and go to other places to compare...this way you can compare apples to apples. There are many places offering older technology...so beware of the price. Similarly, for newer latest technology..do price comparison and shop around before making a decision.
Many things can happen to hearing aids. Be sure you understand what the warranty covers.
Also, make sure that followup visits & any adjustments are included in the price.
Basic ($995-$1400 each)- Conversation with one person, quiet home activities.
Quality ($1500-$2000 each)- Quiet home activities, small group conversation, meetings.
Advantage ($2200-$2900 each)- Conversation in small group, church gatherings, quiet restaurant, meeting.
Premier ($2900-$3900 each)- Meetings, church gatherings, larger social gatherings, shopping, public places, large party or busy restaurant, sporting events. If you have any other questions, I'd be glad to steer you in the right direction.